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Friday, 28 September 2012

Luis Suarez has been defended by some of his Liverpool teammates
and manager, Brendan Rodgers, after claims that he does not get free kicks or
penalties because he goes to ground far too easily.

In the past, the Uruguayan has irked plenty with his
'ability' to go tumbling in the box after the slightest touch - or sometimes
the lack of it - but, in recent weeks, the forward has had at least two legitimate
penalties waved away.

It is about time that referees judged each incident on its
own and forget about his past misdemeanors.

Plenty of other top players have managed to win penalties by
going down under the slightest contact without too much criticism but, for some
reason, Suarez is a marked man, and appears to have no chance of getting a spot
kick at the moment, unless he is blatantly hacked down.

It is true that sometimes Suarez has been guilty of looking
for penalties but, again, in only the same way plenty of other players, past
and present, have done so. However, Suarez appears to be being singled out by refs who
are deliberately ignoring his just appeals because of who he is.

The striker was somehow booked for simulation at Sunderland
last week when he went down after clearly being caught in the area and, to
compound the Reds' striker's misery, he was then denied a spot-kick against
Manchester United at Anfield, when Jonny Evans clipped him.

Again, it is true that Suarez did throw himself down a tad
too excitedly but, again, it was a legitimate foul - no more or less than when
Antonio Valencia stumbled at the other end but, this time, referee Mark Halsey
did point to the spot.

It has been an extremely frustrating start to the season for
Liverpool, as results have failed to match plenty of positive, attacking
performances. Against both Manchester clubs, Rodgers' side did more than enough
to win after dominating last season's top two at Anfield but ended up with just
a point out of both games.

But refereeing decisions have also gone against them at
crucial times this term, with penalties and sendings-off hitting Rodgers' side
hard. Daniel Agger and Jonjo Shelvey have both been rather harshly shown straight
reds while three spot-kicks in five league games could all be placed in the
'soft' category.

Liverpool's luck must surely have to change soon. Suarez,
regularly one of the most fouled players in the league, will hope his does too.

Friday, 21 September 2012

Reading boss Brian McDermott insists that everyone at the club is behind him despite the recent controversy surrounding his decision to drop goalkeeper Adam Federici.

The Royals have struggled since their promotion to the Premier League and have so far earned just a single point from their three games, a run that has left them languishing in the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's trip to West Brom.

One of the reasons for their slump has been the form of Federici, who despite making a number of fine saves, has also made a string of errors, most notably spilling a late equaliser into his goal on the opening day against Stoke.

The decision prompted Federici's girlfriend to take to twitter to criticise the coach for dropping the 27-year-old, a move that caused outrage amongst the Royals' fans.

However, the unflappable McDermott says he's not too concerned about the incident, or the latest odds that suggest the Royals will struggle to avoid the drop, insisting that everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction.

"I've had many issues at football clubs that have been kept very quiet, we've dealt with them and moved on,” he said. "Sometimes these become public for whatever reason.

You see it every day at other clubs, but generally you don't see it here. If it's out there then that's a shame.

"I would understand the fans could think there is unrest, but there is no unrest around here, it's very simple.

"Adam Federici has done fantastic for me and I know him really well as a person and player. He works really hard, but things haven't gone his way so Alex has come into the team,” he added.

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Neil Lennon’s Celtic have a tough task ahead of them to
qualify for the knock-out stages of this season’s Champions League, after
drawing their opening match 0-0 with Benfica this week.

Celtic Park was the scene of jubilation just three weeks ago,
as the Scottish champions qualified for their first European Cup campaign in three
years, defeating a despondent Helsingborg.

Maybe it was seen as ‘job done’ then, with Champions League
qualification top priority, yet as soon as Wednesday’s game kicked off suddenly
a new challenge arose: escaping the group stage.

Fan expectation was high, yet Lennon’s men could not force
any momentum into the game while Benfica were happy to sit back.

The betting tips for football had suggested that the key to
Champions League progression from the group stages is to win your home games
and hope to pinch a point on the road.

Benfica have certainly got their campaign off to a good
start with this point earned in Glasgow. Brazilian goalkeeper, Artur, was
barely tested in the opening froes and, as the game went on, the Portuguese
side looked increasingly comfortable in the middle of the park.

Neither team deserved to win, yet Lennon will still be
disappointed about the result. Celtic are notoriously bad on the road in Europe
and so home form is critical in escaping a difficult group that also incudes
Barcelona and Spartak Moscow – two treacherous away trips.

Their fans will not be expecting much from the Nou Camp and
so they will have to find three points in either Moscow or Lisbon. Celtic don’t
yet need a miracle to qualify from this group but they do need to eke out a win
on the road.

They travel to Moscow next to take on a Spartak side
determined to take second place in Group G, and Lennon must instruct his team
to go for it if they are to progress in the Champions League this season.

Fancy a safer bet for the Champions League title than the
Hoops? Place a Manchester United bet on Bet Victor for the best odds on
Fergie’s Red Devils.

Coming off the pitch, the City keeper, who had a special game between the sticks, was collared by a TV reporter to give his assessment of City’s display, a match in which they squandered a 2-1 lead with minutes to go and lost the chance of an historic win at the Bernabeu.

Hart reflected with emotion on what was essentially a headless chicken display when the finish line beckoned. He refused to take the positives; thank God! There were none.

As he rightly said: “It's hard to come off the field after losing 3-2 and be positive. I'm really sorry. We're not a team that should come here and pat ourselves on the back for doing well. We're a team that gets results.”

Hart was right to criticise the team; anything less after the game would have been the same old pathetic media-trained garbage that the football-watching public have to stomach every match.

Mancini is a master of mind games during interviews, but he should not round on his keeper for speaking the truth.

Maybe Mancini should look at himself in the mirror and wonder why his team – who, let us be honest, have been awful in the Champions League since they joined – failed to get across the line.

If his team want to start winning at the top level, then they need mental toughening. Hart was merely pointing out the obvious.

City can take solace from the fact that the bookies still rate them highly in the Champions League odds; the Citizens are 62/5 with Betfair to win at Wembley in 2013.

Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs believes the attacking partnership between Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie could take his side to the next level in Europe.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were one of the major casualties of the group stages of last season’s Champions League, crashing out of what sport updates and predictions suggested was a fairly straightforward pool, before being destroyed over two legs by a rampant Athletic Bilbao side in the Europa League.

This prompted the veteran boss to try and add an extra dimension to his side and the introduction of Kagawa has even seen him change from his trusty 4-4-2 formation into a more fluid, continental set-up.

This means it’s more than likely that he’ll persist with playing just on up front and in former Arsenal skipper Van Persie, he has possibly the best target man in the world at his disposal.

United open their European account for the new season against Turkish side Galatasary on Wednesday and will also face Portuguese side Braga and CFR Cluj of Romania in the opening stages.

Giggs admits that the Red Devils were embarrassed by their shortcomings last season but believes their new star duo have the ability to take them back to the levels that previously saw them reach three Champions League finals out of four.

The season may only be a month old but already many who enjoy betting at Bet Victor are starting to see signs of who will be competing at the top and bottom of the Premier League table.

The top is already taking a familiar look, while at the bottom one club is finding life back in the top flight difficult.

Southampton, back in the Premier League for the first time since 2005, have lost all four of their games so far, the latest a 6-1 thrashing at Arsenal.

They have had a horror fixtures list, with the Gunners also joining the two Manchester clubs lurking the south coast club’s opening games, but their failure to grab even a point from their first month of the campaign means they are already on the back foot.

A fast start is essential for newly promoted clubs as they can build up a head of steam – momentum can take you a long way in this league.

Once the defeats start flowing though it becomes difficult to stop the rot, with the pressure to get a result increasing with each passing game.

It needs to be pointed out that just two years ago the Saints were in League One and still have a number of the players who played in that division in their squad. But Norwich City were in that same position 12 months ago and their solid start resulted in an eventual 12th place finish.

Some kinder fixtures await in the coming weeks for Southampton so there is time for them to turn their season around. But there is already pressure to win those encounters, pressure you don’t always have at this early stage of the season.

It’s sink or swim time, and if the Saints fail to keep their heads above water in the coming weeks, it will become a long, tough and ultimately heartbreaking campaign.

Friday, 7 September 2012

Liverpool’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, will be out of
contract before September ends. You heard it here first.

Since the American owner, John Henry, took over, little
remorse has been shown to managers who have failed to deliver top results.
Anyone who gets rid of Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool F.C. is clearly happy to
pull the trigger when they are not happy.

Rodgers appointment from Swansea was a brave decision but
since he has taken the reins at Anfield, the Merseyside-outfit have not lived
up to the high standards expected by the 18-time league champions.

Rodgers’ arrogant decision to leave out England and former
Newcastle United striker, Andy Carroll, has left a bitter taste in the mouth,
and the subsequent failure to secure the services of Clint Dempsey means the
Reds are woefully short up front.

Nuri Sahin is untried and Fabio Borini has not looked like a
marksman likely to net 20-plus league goals in his three outings so far.

Three games into the season and Liverpool sit in the relegation
zone with a solitary point. Since Rafa Benitez left the club, Roy Hodgson and
Dalglish have both failed on Merseyside, hardly two unknowns.

With Sunderland away, an experimental Manchester United at home, and a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich left this month, anything but
seven points from those three fixtures and the Northern Irishman will be
walking the plank.

Rodgers’ transfer policy has been poor. Joe Allen for
£15million from his former club, who themselves have picked up what looks to be
the bargain of the season, Michu, for £2million from Rayo Vallecona, and the
inability to off-load Jordan Henderson means that Liverpool’s bench looks like
a glum place to be right now.

If things do not change quickly, then there will be a vacant
position on Merseyside once again, and it will not be at Goodison!

With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers beginning this month, it's the perfect time to assess which countries out of the home nations can make it to Brazil in two years' time.

England
Roy Hodgson appears to be overseeing a transitional period for the Three Lions with a mixture of ageing but established stars being complemented by plenty of exciting, up-and-coming talents.
Hodgson had little time to prepare for the European Championships this summer and, after taking over from Fabio Capello just a few months before the tournament began, did a decent job of steadying the ship and taking England to the quarter-finals amid lower expectations.
They face what looks like a straightforward Group H with Moldova, Ukraine, Poland and San Marino. Not exactly representing the cream of Europe and the latest odds suggest they should top the group with ease. England have qualified with ease for the last few major finals only to struggle when through. They should again top the group without too many problems and a place in Brazil should be theirs. It's just then the hard work will begin.

Scotland
Scotland's last taste of major tournament football came way back in 1998 and it is high time they treated the Tartan Army to another.
Craig Levein appears to have a squad better equipped to fulfil that dream than at any point over the past 10 years and there is quiet confidence in the camp that the Scots can make it to Brazil in 2014.
They kick off against Serbia and will hope to get off to a good start because tougher tests await. Belgium, with a growing array of stars, are tipped to top Group A but Levein's side will fancy their chances of going through as runners-up ahead of the Serbs, Croatia, Wales and Macedonia.
Jordan Rhodes could just be the man to fire the goals required while there is plenty of talent elsewhere in the first-choice XI with the likes of Ross McCormack, Robert Snodgrass, James Morrisson, Charlie Adam and, hopefully, a fit-again Darren Fletcher to call upon throughout the qualifying campaign.

Wales
With Wales in the same group as the Scots, though, unfortunately it does not look so rosy for Chris Coleman's side ahead of their qualifying campaign.
The sad passing of Gary Speed affected plenty of the Welsh players and, understandably, the country, in football terms, was in a state of shock for several months after the manager's sudden death.
His absence meant much of the good work he was doing on the pitch has gone to waste and Coleman has had to pick up the pieces in very difficult and totally unwanted circumstances.
However, they will do their best to recover and some will hope they can even be inspired to serve Speed's memory well by qualifying for their first World Cup appearance since 1958, which is the only time they have made it onto the biggest international stage of all.
Do not rule out some Wales wins over the next 12 months and beyond, but the quality of their opponents means more overall disappointment looms.

Northern Ireland
It is also a very big ask for Michael O'Neill's side to make it through to Brazil despite Group F not looking too formidable beyond the experienced duo of Russia and Portugal.
The minnows may well fancy seeing off Israel and Luxembourg but, sadly for the province, they do have the aforementioned big two to contend with and their chances of finishing above either Russia or Portugal looks remote.
A lack of strength in depth could again be the biggest problem for the Northern Irish as their squad lacks players with big soccer games experience. Much will depend on how those with plenty of Premier League appearances, like Jonny Evans, Chris Brunt and Steven Davis, perform while Kyle Lafferty will be expected to find the net up front. They are always capable of a shock win here and there and expect effort and commitment in abundance but the quality beyond a couple of players is just not good enough for their qualification dream to be realised.

There have been major departures once more this summer, but Joseph Yobo, Tim Cahill and Jack Rodwell are all not considered first-team players, leaving the core of the team intact.

With the money raised boss David Moyes has once again worked wonders, bringing in Steven Naismith, Steven Pienaar, Kevin Mirallas, Bryan Oviedo, Matthew Kennedy and - bery late on deadline day - Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe on loan.